I can’t decide if the late Ken Gordon is rolling in his grave in mortification or in laughter after Senate Minority Leader Bill Cadman outed him for once describing the Senate as a “humor wasteland” and saying he couldn’t find a fellow Democrat to tell joke to when he arrived in 2001.

Was it really that Democrats were so dull or that Gordon, a new senator who had served in leadership in the House, suddenly found himself a bit player in the upper chamber where Democrats now ruled for the first time since 1962?

Congress Ed Perlmutter got a kick out of walking into the Rocky Mountain PBS station for a debate and finding a Sesame Street book on the cover table. Big Bird was on the cover, and had just been mentioned in a presidential debate. (Lynn Bartels, The Denver Post)

I scanned the 2001 Senate roster to see which Democrats were serving then to see if they were as dour as Gordon recalled.

Ed Perlmutter of Jefferson County was the president pro tem. He’s now a congressman. I’ve covered three of his four congressional campaigns and he doesn’t come across as dullsville. Doug Linkhart ran for Denver mayor in 2009 and had enough of a personality to win a “Survivor” type forum. Jim Dyer of Durango. Jim Dyer? My god, he still makes people laugh when he returns to visit. I scanned through more names of Democrats. Bob Hagedorn, Pat Pascoe, Joan Fitz-Gerald, Terry Phillips. OK, OK. So the caucus wasn’t exactly Comedy Central.

Michael Carrigan, president of the University of Colorado Board of Regents, added his thoughts to a poster board at tonight’s Christmas Party hosted by the Colorado Democratic Party. Carrigan is a Denver Democrat. (Lynn Bartels/The Denver Post)

Beer, wine and holiday cookies — that’s the spread the Colorado Democratic Party put out for it holiday party tonight, prompting the question: Where’s the beef? Or chicken? Or even cheese?

That’s before Democrats captured both chambers of the Colorado Legislature, a trend Colorado Republicans are optimistic about reversing next year, as evidenced by their Christmas Party last week. They believe Christmas came early this year bearing a gift called “Obamacare.”

The north Denver Democrat is expecting a son in November (loved it at his baby shower last week when he asked how in the heck these things turned in a couples event). And next month he will receive the Denver Democratic Party’s annual Dale Tooley Democrat of the Year award, named for the legendary district attorney.

The event will be Saturday, Oct. 6., at the Denver Marriott City Center with a reception at 5:30 p.m. and the dinner at 7 p.m. To buy a ticket for the dinner, click here.

Cindy Lowery-Graber, chairwoman of the Denver County Democratic Party, also announced the other award winners: Joy Harrison, the party’s get-out-the-vote coordinator, as the Selma Lock Volunteer of the Year; Doug Linkhart with the Pat Schroeder Families First Award; and Gordon Blankenship with the Frank Sullivan Lifetime Achievement Award.

The only mayoral candidate who legitimately should have been able to do the Dougie Dance, Doug Linkhart, is looking for some payback for one of the most entertaining campaigns of the spring.

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Former Denver City Councilman Doug Linkhart and state Sen. Mary Hodges, D-Brighton, at a Denver Rustler's event earlier this year.

Linkhart — who pledged to legalize marijuana and in my opinion had the best campaign slogan, “I Dig Doug” — is hosting a campaign debt retirement party with a list of Denver political heavyweights on Tuesday.

“Between my dad and myself my debt was $100,000,” Linkhart said. “My goal is to raise half of it. It’s just a cleanup from my campaign.”

The former at-large councilman who is now head of Denver’s environmental health department finished in fourth place with 10,752 votes in the May 3 municipal election behind Chris Romer, Michael Hancock and James Mejia.

After today’s appointment of Penny May to head the Department of Human Services, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock now has three more positions to fill in his 15-member cabinet as he approaches his 100th day in office next week.

Penny May

Hancock still must appoint a police chief, manager of public works and a manager of community planning and development. Last week, he made a flurry of appointments, including the heads of parks and recreation and environmental health.

May, who was interim DHS manager, will earn $136,474 as head of the department that provides a variety of assistance to Denver residents from helping those in financial need to protecting those from abuse and neglect.

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock today announced Doug Linkhart will become the Manager of Environmental Health — adding one more member to his cabinet.

Doug Linkhart

Linkhart, who served as at-large councilman and ran for mayor against Hancock, had been lobbying for a position in his administration after coming in fourth behind Chris Romer, Hancock and James Mejia in the May 3 election.

Hancock, who went on to beat Romer in the June 7 runoff, now has filled 10 of the 15 cabinet positions, which also includes the independent monitor who is not among the mayor’s appointees.

Hancock this morning also announced appointments of Chuck Fredrick as Chief Information Officer and Kent Rice as Director of Arts and Venues — both had been serving in the positions in an interim capacity.

Denver voters this week began receiving an attack-ad mailer from an independent political action committee, blasting mayoral candidate Michael Hancock for comments he has made in forums about evolution and religious-themed curriculum.

The glossy mailer from the group “Citizens for Accountability” states on its front “Don’t let science become extinct in Denver Public Schools.”

On the other side, the mailer says “Michael Hancock doesn’t believe evolution. But he wants to decide what our children learn in science class.”

Chris Romer is seeking out supporters of James Mejia and Doug Linkhart.

Chris Romer’s website has two invitations running on its banner, inviting supporters of former mayoral candidates James Mejia and Doug Linkhart to join his campaign.

Romer is in the June 7 runoff with Michael Hancock and is obviously in need of their support. His vote totals did not crest over the 30 percent mark. There was only a 1,587-vote difference between Romer and Hancock. In fact, there was only a 3,078-vote difference between Romer and Mejia.

Lynn Bartels thinks politics is like sports but without the big salaries and protective cups. The Washington Post's "The Fix" blog has named her one of Colorado's best political reporters and tweeters.

Joey Bunch has been a reporter for 28 years, including the last 12 at The Denver Post. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry.